CWS Tournament Central
Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. --- UC Irvine's impressive postseason run came to an end in a 1-0 loss to Texas Wednesday night in an elimination game at the College World Series in Omaha.
C.J. Hinojosa's lead-off homer to left in the top of the seventh accounted for the game's lone run at TD Ameritrade Park. It was the first home run of the 2014 College World Series.
The 'Eaters (41-25) tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the eighth inning as Adam Alcantara, leading off, was hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Justin Castro and Ryan Cooper entered the game to pinch-run for Alcantara.
Cooper was stranded at second as Taylor Sparks fouled out and Chris Rabago grounded out to short.
Connor Spencer led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left, but Jerry McClanahan flew out to center, Jonathan Munoz struck out looking and Grant Palmer flew out to right.
Spencer had two of the four hits by the Anteaters.
Evan Manarino (4-4) started on the mound for UCI and aside from the home run, was solid for 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven while walking just one.
Evan Brock pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and allowed just one hit.
The 'Eaters were poised to get on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third when with one out and Alcantara on first base, Sparks sent a drive deep to right-center that was snared by Texas center fielder Mark Payton on a diving catch just before the warning track.
The Longhorns almost had something brewing in the top of the sixth. With one out, Ben Johnson hit a shot down the left-field line into the corner and reached third base, but he was called out on an appeal by UCI as an alert Spencer had noticed that Johnson missed first base as he rounded the bag.
Chad Hollingsworth made his second start of the season for Texas (45-20), striking out five and yielding four hits over 8 1/3 innings in improving to 4-0 on the season.
Travis Duke recorded the game's final two outs to earn the save and Mark Payton registered two of the Longhorns' six hits. Texas will meet Vanderbilt Friday and must defeat the Commodores twice to advance to next week's CWS Finals.
UCI's Mike Gillespie, the NCBWA National Coach of the Year, guided the 'Eaters to postseason championships at the Corvallis Regional and Stillwater Super Regional.
UCI opened action in Omaha with a 3-1 win over Texas last Saturday and fell to Vanderbilt, 6-4, on Monday.
The loss Wednesday was the first in four meetings for UCI in the all-time series against Texas.
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